Pure Devotion
by PsychicDreams
Summary: Though temporary, Zoisite takes advantage of the miracle to hold Endymion close and renew his hope that one day the Shitennou would be 'real' forever.


Author's Notes:

My usual author's notes here. Well, this is Zoisite's little part in my Shitennou series. If you like this series, please send me some feedback. My email is Guardian4@cox.net if you want to contact for any reason. 

I don't own Sailor Moon, etc. These characterizations are based on the manga, where at the end of the Dark Kingdom, the Shitennou turned into stones and are with Mamoru.

**Pure Devotion**

By

PsychicDreams

His eyes don't take me…us in at first and I begin to worry. He looks as if he has the world on those broad shoulders. Carriage slumped; eyes drooping; listless posture. He looks anything but a powerful prince, as I know him to be.

The books he's carrying fall to the floor with a thump and those blue orbs that have captured my undying love and loyalty widen in shock and disbelief. The five of us stare at each other, just drinking in the sight, I suppose.

I can't help myself. Even before Jadeite, who I have suspicion waited in the middle of the room so Endymion could see him right off, is still stunned. I don't believe he really believed it would last long enough to see him.

My feet carry me as fast as the wind to my Prince's warm embrace. Tears fight at the edges of my eyes and a sob is tightening my throat. A warm feeling is exploding in my chest as a super nova, making me want to cry uncontrollably in happiness. Ever so slowly, as if he can't believe it, Endymion's arms wrap around me. He is…shaking.

"Endymion…"

By sheer will alone, I force myself to let go of Endymion. Kunzite stumbles forward and his fingers brush the man's cheek lightly. My Prince's hand flies upward to snatch at my leader's hand. They are both shaking.

"Kunzite…? Zoisite…? Nephrite…? Jadeite…?" he stutters softly. "How can this be? Am I dreaming this?"

"No more than I am," whispers Nephrite, tears obvious in his eyes. "And if this is a dream, then I wish it to never end."

I start; I hadn't heard him come up beside me.

Jadeite manages to knock into me slightly as he barrels past into Endymion's arms. The black haired beauty of a man pulls as many of us as his arms can hold, which can only encompass physically two of us, but emotionally all. I can just see, from my position, Kunzite's fist is clenching the back of Endymion's…no, Mamoru's shirt tightly, as if it is the only thing preventing him from breaking down and sobbing at his feet.

Out of consideration, Kunzite pulls Jadeite from clinging to Mamoru. Nephrite, bless his soul, has allowed us our chance to be with Mamoru without a word. It is what really endears me to him; he always seems to think of us before himself, though most of the time it doesn't seem that way.

"Nephrite…?"

At the voice, the man next to me starts and two tears streak his cheeks. "I…I missed you, Prince." With that said and out of the way, he launches himself at Endymion.

"I can't believe…what happened?"

I wince at the utter joy in my Prince's voice. My analytical mind is telling me it won't last; it _couldn't last. But I can't make those words come out of my mouth. I can't make myself crush my Prince._

"We don't know," whispered Jadeite.

I don't know what would have happened if that damn technological menace of a telephone hadn't rung at that exact moment. Reluctantly, Mamoru pulls from Nephrite's embrace and we watch him as he picks up that white thing that the Dark Kingdom surely must have made to torment us.

"Usako?"

Feelings well up inside of me. I do like Princess Serenity, but right now I…can't stand her. What a horrible moment to call at!

"Yes, I'm fine. The wound is gone, as you well know." He pauses and looks straight at us, at least my, desperate expression. "Sorry, Usako, but…I can't talk tonight. I have…" And tears fill his eyes, "company. I promise to make it up to you later, but right now…"

I can hear her apologize mournfully. My heart wilts in shame as I realize even as I crow inside. How can I be so cruel to be happy that Serenity can't see Endymion?

"Usako…? Thank you so very much. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

The voice becomes chipper again, obviously surprised and pleased at hearing such a heartfelt thanks.

The phone is practically dropped into its cradle. There is silence once more as we stare at each other. As if his legs can no longer hold him up, Endymion crumples to the ground with tears in his eyes. "I can't believe you're here. You're real."

I fall to my knees in front of me and the other Shitennou surround us, kneeling to be on eye level with our Prince. "Prince…?"

He looks at me with dazed eyes.

I bite my lip, knowing what I am about to say will devastate him. "Prince, this isn't permanent. It _can't be. Our stones are still on your beside table. If this were permanent, they would shatter."_

For the life of me, I can't remember noticing that or giving it a thought, but sometimes when I'm emotional my subconscious does the work for me. 

As I suspected, those blue eyes seem to die. "You're…this isn't permanent?"

My curly blonde hair shifts restlessly as I shake my head. "No…but I don't care. Any moment with you that I'm real is like a dream come true. I…love you, my Prince. I've so longed for this moment."

I am swept up into his embrace and there is no place that I can imagine feels like this. It is safe, warm, and infinitely wonderful. This is where it all started for me…this embrace. 

That memory, the one I will tell no one of its _real_ significance in my life, is as strong now as it was in the Silver Millennium. I had just worked my way into this group of four: Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, and of course, Endymion. It was simply a welcoming embrace, a hug to make me comfortable in their midst and dispense the formality. Jadeite, Kunzite, and Nephrite had all joked about it moments later, but that was it.

When I was enveloped in those arms, as now, they held every emotion that I'd ever experienced all at once. I'd felt love from my parents, liking from my friends, pain from my trials and tribulations…I'd experienced all the emotions in life, but it was the first time I'd ever experienced them in a single embrace…from one man. And those emotions were genuine from him to me. It was as if it was a silent message just to me and I think that was made me love him like I do.

"I love you too, Zoisite. I love you all so much."

His voice is cracking in a way that I know means he is trying to hold in his emotions.

"Oh, Endymion. You've no idea how long I've wanted to hold you like this."

He laughs brokenly. "Same here."

I pull away reluctantly and the others close in to his wonderful embrace. The five of us…together again, even if only for temporary. My gaze flows up to that small table holding the evil phone and the picture of Endymion with the Senshi. Without even consciously realizing what I'm doing, I pick it up and…smile. 

Vaguely, I hear Kunzite say, "Mamoru, we think this may be a side-effect of Golden Crystal. Why did you use it?"

"I only used a little, to heal a cut on my side. It wasn't life-threatening, but I had to have it healed at least somewhat because I had my last class to go to. If I was gushing blood, someone would notice and ask questions," responded Mamoru amusedly. "It wasn't much."

I still feel a little jealous at these Senshi, they may be real for the rest of their lives with him, but right now, that jealousy is dim. I have Endymion; I can hold him and quench some of the frustration out of me…the frustration that has built over the year I've been in that horrible stone.

Jadeite is behind me; I can feel him there, looking at the picture over my shoulder. I look at his blue eyes and I can see my desire reflected in his eyes.

"Endymion, do you have a camera?" he questions, turning to the Prince.

He stands, keeping a hand on Kunzite's wrist, as if to remind himself that this is real.

"Yes. Why?"

Nephrite and Kunzite look at us and the picture in my hand. A slow smile touches their faces.

Mamoru is watching the picture too, shaking slightly in my grip, and like the sun coming out after a thick rainstorm, a wonderful smile floods my senses. I remember in the Silver Millennium…those smiles were so plentiful and directed only to us four…ah, I remember.

"It's in the drawer."

Nephrite, like all of us, knows where it is. We have all memorized his apartment, better than Endymion himself has.

I'm afraid, though, that my prince has to set it up to capture the five of us together. Right now, I don't think any of the Kings' hands are steady enough for such meticulous work.

We place Endymion in the middle of us, on his easy chair that I know is his favorite. Kunzite is leaning against the back of the chair, looking the perfect image of a bodyguard, but the beatific and somewhat dazed smile would be out of place on a normal, for-hire protector. Jadeite is reclining against the side of the chair, with his elbow resting on Endymion's knee and a secretly amused smile on that boyishly handsome face. Nephrite, laughing at Jadeite, is settled on one knee on Endymion's left. And I perch myself on the arm rest on Endymion's right, beaming, almost unable to believe this. 

That camera flashes, but as the white light fills my vision for a split second, I remember why this position feels so familiar. It is like a scene out of a nightmare and a wonderful dream all at once, two very different memories revolving around the same thing. The night that the Silver Millennium fell, before we moved against the Moon…the burning of Endymion's palace, his home.

I can remember the…deceived, manipulated, and betraying Zoisite that I was standing amidst the burning Prince's bedroom and watching as full length painting went up in smoke and feeling the twinges of unbearable sadness as the fire licked at the oil paints. We had sat in this same position for hours, posing while the painter, at Endymion's request, had captured us as we were.

The memory lasts no more than a few seconds and I'm glad the others don't know what happened to that painting, if they even remember it. It would shame me, even though I was not in control of myself, that I did nothing to save it.

"Zoisite?"

His voice jogs my attention and I look into Endymion's blue eyes. I can see in his perfect sapphire orbs my memory of the burning palace. I was the only one there; I was the one ordered to destroy his home. He wasn't there, I was the only one. I don't think it has ever occurred to him, in this new life, to wonder what happened to the palace. I think all he remembers is the battle on the Moon Kingdom. 

But I can remember being in that palace, watching it ablaze. I can remember being undeterred by the flames and heat, motivated by some sick and twisted curiosity to wander through those halls. I remember…confronting Endymion's father, the King, protecting his queen from the fire. I remember how he rushed both of them to me, asking questions, telling me to take the Queen to safety. I remember…the shocked betrayal in his eyes as I ran him through and then the Queen.

"Zoisite…?"

"Endymion!" I'm shaking as I drop to my knees in front of him. The four of them are standing before me, staring down. "Endymion please forgive me! I…I have no words. I…"

My shoulders are shaking so badly and want to curl up into myself and keep my sullied hands away from my pure Prince.

A warm palm cups my chin and makes me turn my tear-streaked face to him, tears I had not noticed before. "Zoisite, please tell me what's wrong."

"I've…I…I did such terrible things." For the life of me, I cannot tell him what I did, how I murdered his parents. I am afraid that even though he will profess to forgive me, that he will still abandon me or look at me differently. I cannot bear to live without his trust…without him. If I told him, would he turn from me? I can't…I can't take that chance. I must live with this secret for the rest of my life, in silence. But what if I can't…? What if he somehow found out…?

That embrace again. The one that made me fall in love with him. Oh, Endymion, how could I have _ever betrayed you?_

"Zoisite…? Zoisite!"

His panicked cries alert me. My horror-filled eyes take in my fading figure with disbelief. I…I had thought it would last longer than this!

"Kunzite! Nephrite! Jadeite! No, you all can't…! You can't leave me!"

Kunzite, though, smiles and with what little 'real' he has left, embraces Endymion. "We'll never leave you. Even with the short time we had, it was enough. Enough for us to keep going on with hope…hope that we can become 'real' forever and fill more pictures with just us."

I can feel my spirit drawing back into that small stone. We can't hold out against them anymore. We must rest. But what Kunzite said is true. Now we have hope and our strength is renewed. As always, we will continue that fight against the endless sleep that those stones beckon to us.

Those sapphire eyes, those blue orbs of my loving prince, are staring at me. I smile, not sad but happy and reassuring. "Don't worry, my Prince. I have hope. _We have hope. And as long as we have hope, you will have us._

"I love you, so very much my Prince. I love you."

End **Pure Devotion**

So, one more part, with Mamoru. I really hope you like it this far. I put a lot into this one and really hope you like it and that I'm doing justice to these characters.


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